Researchers from the Convergence Circuit Design Laboratory (BASIC Lab), led by Prof. Hyung-Min Lee of the Korea University School of Electrical Engineering, have achieved the acceptance of three papers to the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2026, the world’s premier conference in semiconductor integrated circuit design, to be held in San Francisco, USA, in February 2026. Since 2023, the lab has had papers accepted every year at ISSCC, reaffirming its consistent research excellence.
 

The accepted papers include two in the MED (Medical) subcommittee and one in the PM (Power Management) subcommittee, each presenting innovative advances in biomedical interface and power management technologies.
 

MED Subcommittee, Session 36 Neural and Biomedical Interfaces, 36.8
Paper title: An 80×80μm²/Pixel 55.48dB-Wide-DR 400-Pixel Subretinal Prosthesis SoC with Power-Aware Light Adaptation and Charge-Recycling Local Dynamic Supply
Dr. Kyeongho Eom developed a subretinal prosthesis SoC capable of actively adapting to ambient brightness, enabling retinal implant patients to perceive objects more stably across a wide range of illumination levels.
 

MED Subcommittee, Session 36 Neural and Biomedical Interfaces, 36.7
Paper title: A 90.7%-Efficiency Hybrid Optogenetic Stimulation System with Sub-Threshold Electrical Stimuli Achieving 70.6% Optical Energy Saving
Integrated M.S.–Ph.D. student Joonghoon Kang proposed a hybrid optogenetic neural stimulation system that incorporates sub-threshold electrical stimuli. By applying sub-threshold electrical stimulation as a supplemental input, the system significantly reduces the optical energy required for stimulation while maintaining high efficiency.
 

PM Subcommittee, Session 16 Energy Harvesting, Piezo and Chargers, 16.9
Paper title: A 96.6% Single-Mode Hybrid Dual-Path Buck-Boost Converter with Conduction Loss Reduction through Conversion-Ratio-Based Adaptive 3-Phase Control
Integrated M.S.–Ph.D. student Minsu Kim developed a highly efficient hybrid dual-path buck-boost converter with 96.6% efficiency. The system uses conversion-ratio-based adaptive 3-phase control to flexibly adjust its control strategy according to operating conditions, thereby reducing conduction losses and achieving efficient power conversion.
 

ISSCC attracts approximately 4,000 participants from academia and industry every year and is recognized as a premier venue for presenting and validating cutting-edge research, often referred to as the “Olympics of semiconductor design.” Prof. Hyung-Min Lee stated, “This achievement is the result of our team’s sustained dedication to integrated circuit design research. We will continue to pursue innovative research with our team and strive for even more meaningful accomplishments.”